I'm Just A Man
by dontgivemecrocodiletears
Summary: James Potter the horny hobo. Yeah. AUish R
1. Spark

**...and **who** are you?**

He knew her.

He definitely knew her.

But who was she?

Redheads weren't that common...especially if they had figures like that.

It wasn't his fault his mind often drifted towards the hornier side of things. He was, after all, only a man. And they had feelings too.

He glanced down at his shabby clothes, and was suddenly aware of how much he must resemble a drunk, who had been sleeping out on the pavement for the past two nights.

It's funny how a woman can do that to you. Make you remember there is such a thing as hygiene. And that not everyone enjoys smelling your armpits from nine miles away.

His guitar was loosely held in his hands, and a worn hat lay on the floor, a few five pence pieces lying in it. That was what he had to show for a day's work. Twenty-five pence. He scuffed the hat with his foot. A pound coin slid out of a crease and he smiled. One pound twenty-five pence. Better.

Clearing his throat as he saw the woman start to walk his way, he strummed a chord and began to sing, tapping his foot to the music. He blatantly tried to catch her eye as she drew closer, and closer still. When she was merely a few feet away, his breath caught in his throat.

She was gorgeous.

She had smoky green eyes and flawless, porcelain skin. Her red hair hung in lazy curls around her heart shaped face, but it still wasn't enough for him to remember. Her name. What was her name?

His mind drifted back to seven years ago, when he was eighteen, just leaving school. She had definitely been at his school, he knew she had. They had probably come into contact there as well. Even though he was a busker on London's streets and she was a well-to-do lady, pushing a baby along in a pram.

Damn. She was taken. Well, she might be swayed. Especially by a man of his visage. For you see, under all the stubble and dirt James Potter thought he was an extremely handsome man. He felt that he had features that were carved by angels, and yes he wasn't bad-looking, but he wasn't what they would call drop dead gorgeous either. It was just his physique that gave the appearance that he was strong, and slightly overprotective, that many women found attractive.

He didn't really mind.

As she passed right before his eyes, he raised his voice and began to strum his guitar louder. She stopped and turned to look at him, her lips parting slightly in what could have been shock, disgust or an unsavoury mixture of both. She gave him the once-over, before scrutinising him further. At this degree of attention from this woman, James stopped singing and looked at her back. It was then he had a bold vision down memory lane. Her necklace.

The entwined initials; L.E.

The chain he had tried so many times to get her to remove, but she never would for some reason unbeknownst to him.

Even when he used to declare his undying love for her, she would scoff at him and walk away. He had always known she would do well. But then again, he had thought the same for himself.

It was so easy for him to form the words to a song, but right now he was speechless. James felt a flurry in his heart.

He bowed his head and muttered the name, "Lily?"

She continued to stare, "James? Is that you?"

"Maybe..."

"Well?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"Who **else** has hair like that?"

He managed to produce a sheepish grin, "I thought you went to live in...somewhere else..."

"I did. But I came back to visit."

"Ah."

"Yeah. So, you've changed."

"Sort of..."

"Excuse me?"

"What? Just because you're rich, and have kids and you're happily married-"

"I'm in debt, fighting over the legal right to keep my daughter and I'm filing for divorce."

"But you look-"

"It's a cover, James, you jackass. You obviously haven't changed, judging-"

"No! I just-"

"Leave it, James."

"Lily! Please can't we just be friends?"

"Hmm," here she pretended to think, "no."

"Please?"

"NO!"

"Look at me. I'm desperate. I could use a friend."

"You just met me here on the street. I'm a stranger to you."

"No you're not. I recognised your necklace. You made an impact on me."

"Yeah. Sure."

"Friends?"

"No, I meant-"

"Friends."

James beamed at her, before grabbing a wad of paper from the pocket of his leather jacket, and scribbling down a number. He winked at her.

"Call me."

She groaned at him and walked off without looking back.

He watched her silhouette fade, and picked up his guitar.

"This one's for Lily."


	2. Salesman

**Lily **is **thinking...**

"I want...that one!"

Lily picked up the toy and flipped it over to the other side, searching for a price tag. In less than half a second, the weasel-like sales assistant was by her side.

"Can I help you, madam?" he asked, his sentence as well greased and slimy as his hair.

"I was just looking for the price on this-"

"Ah, an excellent choice. If you make your way over to the till here I would be more than happy to-"

"No, mister..." she looked for a name tag, "John."

He forced a smile.

"John, I just want a price on it."

"So you're not going to buy it?"

"No I might if it's-"

"Ah, an excellent choice. If you-"

While John continued to slick out his sales-patter, Lily bent down to her daughter.

"Alice? I saw a really nice sweet shop down the road."

"Teddy?"

"Sweeties. Chocolate. Mmmmm...marshmallows."

Alice sucked thoughtfully on her thumb, "But teddy..."

"Marshmallows."

"Pink ones?"

"Pink ones. Come on, honey."

Bending down, she scooped Alice into her arms and dumped her into her pram. Allowing John to carry on speaking to thin air, she slipped out of the shop.

------------

"-now will that be credit card or cash?"

John looked around.

"Madam?"

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews and I'll try and pace it out a bit more. This is my first story so I'm sort of getting used to it. Sorry this chapter is so short! I'd appreciate any ideas you guys might have. :)**


	3. Sound

**Hobo? Me? One day we'll **rule **the world.**

"I know a girl with the golden touch, she's got enough, she's got too much..."

This area was colder.

The crowds were smaller.

He was getting less money.

But he bore it all for another chance of meeting **her** again. Unless she was walking back down to where he had been. In which case...

"..but I know, you wouldn't mind, you could have it all if you wanted..."

He strummed his guitar with more fervour, raising his voice to a point where it started to hurt with the cold.

Why wasn't she here? This was where he had seen her walking up.

Unless she had taken a side road. Or something stupid like that.

"..you could have it all if it mattered so much..."

Why didn't he get her number? Why did he have to go and assume that she would be swept off her feet and call him? WHY?

"...but then all they know is how to put you down, when you're there, they're your friend..."

He plucked the strings harder, desperately scanning the crowds for an auburn curl, a flash of emerald. Or the distinctive golden plaits of her daughter...whatever she was called.

_Her husband must have been a blond. The wanker._

"..but when you're not around, they say 'Oh she is changed', you know what they mean..."

His fingers hurt with the crisp winter wind biting at them, and one slipped and hit the wrong string. It broke.

"...that means they're just jealous- FUCK!"

People hurried past him as he nursed his guitar, cradling it in his arms like a dying child. Some elderly ladies gave him dirty looks:

"Using that kind of language in public is quite disgraceful."

"I do agree."

"One must have sunk quite low to exclaim it in such a manner."

"Why yes, I do believe you're right."

"He is homeless, I don't think he could possibly sink any lower!"

Their tittering laughter rang out through the square. James was angry. His guitar had just broken, he couldn't find Lily and now these old bats were just taking it one step to far.

He tried to catch their eye for a few seconds. He did. He smiled and nodded.

He rubbed his hands and then:

he flipped them off.

--

Lily carried on up the street, pushing Alice in front of her in the pram, who was holding on to a bag full of gooey marshmallows. The road sloped uphill, so it was a tougher climb than she had expected. But she was used to things getting in her way.

"I know a girl with the golden touch, she's got enough, she's got too much..."

This area was colder, Lily decided, as she huddled further into her coat.

But at least the crowds were smaller and she wasn't as jostled as before.

That voice was quite nice too. The song wasn't bad either. It sounded familiar, but she didn't listen to that type of music. She struggled to identify it and couldn't think of anything that came close. Then it struck her. James?

"..but I know, you wouldn't mind, you could have it all if you wanted..."

That didn't make any sense! He had been down **there**. She twisted her head to look back at the way she had come. No he **was** down there. This was some other tramp. Who sounded just like him...

The volume of it rose and she was mildly surprised by the raw passion and warmth in the music. It stirred something inside of her she didn't know she could feel again.

What was it?

"..you could have it all if it mattered so much..."

Happiness?

She felt sort of sorry for him in a way. At least she had a roof over her head. He was just...on the streets. She should at least call him.

No! That would be giving in. Then she would never hear the end of it. But how did he end up so poor? He was the one with the rich magical parents. She was the one with...nothing much.

"..but when you're not around, they say 'Oh she is changed', you know what they mean..."

She reached the top of the hill and looked around. There she inevitably saw James, who looked like he was incredibly pissed off, and was about to die of cold. People were giving him looks.

_Well what would you do if you were in that situation? Become a prostitute?_, she found herself thinking and then hoping he hadn't once resorted selling his body.

Not that he would have a problem with it...

"...that means they're just jealous- FUCK!"

Now **that** surely wasn't part of the song.

She walked towards him, pushing Alice who had fallen asleep with her hand in the packet of pink goo.

"Using that kind of language in public is quite disgraceful."

"I do agree."

"One must have sunk quite low to exclaim it in such a manner."

"Why yes, I do believe you're right."

"He is homeless, I don't think he could possibly sink any lower!"

Lily felt even sorrier for him. It wasn't his fault he was here. Well it might well be. She watched as he flipped them off and angrily turned away muttering something under his breath. Then he abruptly stopped and she watched in amusement and delight when he caught sight of her standing a few feet away from him.

He stood and walked towards her, much to the horror of the old women.

"Well I never!"

"He should mix with those in his class."

"Oh, fuck off," muttered James.

Lily apologised, "He doesn't mean it."

"Yeah I do," he grumbled, "my guitar broke."

"I heard. Why are you here?"

"Well my mum and dad-"

"Not that you idiot how did you get up the hill?"

"I came to look for you..."

"...because..."

"I didn't have your number and I didn't know if you were going to call me or not. I pissed you off a bit."

"Yeah I was thinking of forgetting about you actually."

"But you didn't," he stated smugly.

"I can," she threatened.

"And you won't."

"Why not?"

"Because I have your number."

"No you don't!"

He waved her phone in front of her eyes, smiling.

"How? What? Give it back!"

"Nope."

James entered his number, texted it, and handed it back to her, "Now you can have it."

She glared at him, "One, how did you do that and, two, how do **you** afford a phone?"

"One, I have experience, I went through a pickpocket stage."

As her mouth began to open he interrupted before she could speak, "I'm over that stage, I realise I can earn my own money even if it's harder."

"Ok...I suppose...well it's not OK, but..."

"And two, it's not **my** phone. I share it."

"So even if I **did** call you some other...hobo person would pick it up."

"Hobo? ME?"

"No shit."

"We'll rule the world one day."

"Oh yes, I can definitely see that coming."

"I'm sure you can, sweetheart. Now if you don't mind I've got work to do."

"But your guitar-"

"I'll find some other stuff."

"Like?"

"I don't know."

"Don't go into prostitution."

He smiled, "Been there."

"WHAT?"

He raised both hands, "Kidding."

"Very funny."

"I know. Call me."

And it was Lily's turn to watch as he walked back, picked up his broken guitar and slipped away.

**A/N: Thanks for all of your reviews :). A disclaimer: I (surprisingly) don't own any of this Harry Potter stuff. Song isn't mine either. It's Golden Touch by Razorlight. But I own this story plot and any additional characters. Yep.**


	4. Stress

**Stressed like a **fish** out of water**

The train was overheated. Too many people had tried to pack themselves into a single carriage, and now they were like sweaty sardines in a pressurized can. Lily kept a firm hold of Alice in her lap, and another hand on the pram which she could slowly see, out of the corner of her eye, being sucked into the crowd.

The girl sitting next to her was banging her head violently to some music, which was so loud Lily could hear every word and guitar solo echoing from the headphones. To escape this unflattering sight, she turned her head to the other side – and was horrified to come face to face with an armpit.

Why the man had decided to stretch at that precise moment in time, she didn't know, but the result was horrendous. Lily found herself engulfed in a land where personal hygiene was, for the minute, totally non-existent. Curling hairs were tickling her nose and she abruptly surfaced for air, only to be met with the rather disproportionate derrière of a woman.

The woman tensed. Lily stiffened, she sensed she knew what was about to unfold. As the tension in the woman's body increased Lily grew more wary, until at last the woman propelled a large amount of gas at a high speed through the air.

That is to say, she farted.

Lily could have screamed on that train, she could have punched every single person in the face. .

But there was no room to shed a single tear.

X-x-X

James lugged his guitar through the alleyway, random notes erupting as it bumped over the lumpy asphalt.

He silently cursed his life. The old women who have nothing to do in their life except laugh at tramps.

_In other words YOU._

"Shut up, brain."

A silhouette paused to look up, and James saw a syringe, blatantly visible. He sighed to himself, knowing he must appear deluded, talking to himself in an alley. But then again, by the looks of things that poor guy was already intoxicated.

He had always considered taking drugs, or letting alcohol consume him until there was nothing left to be consumed.

It was tempting.

And when his guitar broke he had seriously considered packing it all in. But then Lily found him. And he realised he had a motive to do well. If he managed to impress her then...well it goes without saying, his life would completely turn around.

Even if she wasn't rich, she provided something...support? She gave him a reason to try and improve his situation – why would she want to be with someone who was a...hobo.

Of course she had her images from Hogwarts, of the arrogant prick she had come to loathe. But now he had a second chance to erase this picture and draw a new one in it's place.

And he wasn't going to let it go to waste.

X-x-X

**A/N: So, what did you think? Ideas, suggestions, comments... Merry Christmas!**


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